An explosion on a train in March killed 11 people

Bombay has suffered a number of bomb attacks in recent months.

"We have got approvals and the new elite anti-terrorist squad should be in place within a month," Bombay joint commissioner of police Satyapal Singh told the AFP news agency.

The anti-terrorist squad is modelled on the Indian army's paramilitary commando forces, the National Security Guard.

Sophisticated weapons

"The central government had earlier recommended such a force for Bombay considering its strategic importance. The new force will also look after the security aspects for the entire state of Maharashtra. However Bombay will be the focus," Commissioner Singh said.

Two units will be created; one for Bombay and the other for the rest of the state.

"There was a need for a highly committed and specially trained operational unit on the lines of the National Security Guard," he said.

The elite squad of about 60 police officers will be equipped with assault rifles and the latest communications equipment.

Most of its staff are expected to come from within Bombay's existing police force of 3,500 policemen.

Gunned down

Police say that Bombay is a key target for terror attacks because of its commercial significance.

The city has been hit by a series of bomb blasts since December 2002. The most recent one - on a commuter train in March - killed 11 people and injured 50 others.

Also in March, police gunned down three men they said were members of the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba.